Game 25 lineups: Nats at Giants

SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals have won only one of their last six games. That win came Friday night in Los Angeles, against Clayton Kershaw, which sounds improbable given the current state of the lineup except once you remember who pitched that game for the Nats: Max Scherzer.

Today, the Nationals are going to need another effort from Scherzer - not to mention some runs against Jeff Samardzija - if they hope to at least head home on a positive note after a long and often difficult road trip.

Scherzer has been outstanding against the Giants the last two seasons, going 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in three starts, striking out 27 in 23 innings. The Nats will need that trend to continue this afternoon.

The Nationals beat Samardzija twice last season: in the finale of the series here at AT&T Park that began with Bryce Harper charging Hunter Strickland at the mound and Samardzija going after Harper until Michael Morse got in the way and suffered a career-ending concussion, then again on Aug. 12 in D.C., the night Harper injured his knee trying to beat Samardzija to first base on a little dribbler. Suffice it to say, there's some history between these particular participants.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Where: AT&T Park
Gametime: 3:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 59 degrees, wind 16 mph out to center field

NATIONALS
SS Trea Turner
2B Wilmer Difo
RF Bryce Harper
1B Matt Adams
CF Michael A. Taylor
LF Andrew Stevenson
3B Adrian Sanchez
C Pedro Severino
RHP Max Scherzer

GIANTS
CF Gregor Blanco
2B Joe Panik
RF Andrew McCutchen
1B Brandon Belt
3B Pablo Sandoval
LF Mac Williamson
SS Brandon Crawford
C Nick Hundley
RHP Jeff Samardzija